1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a quick connector assembly which is used to connect two pipes of a piping system of, for example, an automotive vehicle in which a fluid such as gasoline, oil, water, or air flows.
2. Related Art Statement
FIG. 7 shows a known quick connector assembly which is disclosed in, U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,088, U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,833, U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,754, U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,315, U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,175, U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,506, U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,497, and FR 2,705,430 A1, JP (TOKU-KAI) 8-233181, JP (TOKU-KAI) 7-293771, JP (TOKU-KO) 6-31668. The known connector assembly includes a male member 101 having an end portion 111 with an annular projection 110; and a female member 102 into which the end portion 111 of the male member 101 is fluid-tightly inserted so that two pipes of a piping system are fluid-tightly connected to each other.
The female member 102 is provided by a generally tubular member 120 which has an axial bore 123 into which the end portion 111 of the male member 101 is inserted. The axial bore 123 extends axially inwardly from an inlet 121d, and includes a third axial portion 123c, a second axial portion 123b, and a first axial portion 123a in the order of description. The second axial portion 123b has a diameter greater than a diameter of the first axial portion 123a and is smaller than a dimension of the third axial portion 123c. The female member 102 has, in relation with the axial hole 123c, a pair of engageable surfaces 125, 125 which extend radially from an axis of the female member 102 and which are engageable with a retainer member 105 to hold the same 105 in the axial hole 123c. In a state in which the retainer member 105 is held in the axial hole 123c, the end portion 111 of the male member 101 is inserted into the female member 102 through the inlet 121d, while the annular projection 110 of the end portion 111 elastically deforms a pair of opposed portions 151a of a stopper portion 151 of the retainer member 105 and snaps in a pair of engageable holes of the retainer member 105. Thus, the retainer member 105 prevents the male member 101 from disassembling from the female member 102. Two annular seal members 106, 108 are fluid-tightly fitted in an inner cylindrical wall surface of the female member 102 that defines the second axial bore 123b. Since the diameter of the first axial bore 123a is smaller than that of the second axial bore 123b, the female member 102 has an annular surface, A, which is located between the first and second axial bores 123a, 123b and which extend radially from the axis of the female member 102. A free end of the end portion 111 of the male member 101 is tightly fitted in the first axial bore 123a and the two annular seal members 106, 108 provided in the second axial bore 123b.
However, the annular surface A of the female member 102 that is provided between the first and second axial bores 123a, 123b extends on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the female member 102 or the tubular member 120. On the other hand, the two elastically deformable opposed portions 151a of the stopper member 150 that are inclined toward the axis of the tubular member 120, are considerably largely deformed if the end portion 111 of the male member 101 is inserted through the inlet 121d in such a manner that an axis, C2, of the male member 101 is considerably largely inclined relative to an axis, C1, of the female member 102. In addition, the quick connector assembly has some play between the male member 101 and the female member 102, for the purpose of allowing the male member 101 to be smoothly inserted into the female member 102. Accordingly, when the end portion 111 of the male member 101 is inserted in the female member 102 such that the axis C2 of the male member 101 is largely inclined relative to the axis C1 of the female member 102, as shown in FIG. 7, or such that the axis C2 is not aligned with the axis C1, the free end of the male member 101 partially or locally pushes the annular seal member 106 provided in the second axial bore 123b, so that the seal member 106 may be forcedly moved into the first axial bore 123a, as indicated at broken line. In this case, the prior connector assembly suffers from a serious problem that the seal member 106 can no longer fluid-tightly seal between the male member 101 and the female member 102.